Strategic Air Command
On March 21, 1957, the Air Force, acting on the recommendation of the Strategic Missile Site Selection Panel, designated Presque Isle, as the site for the first SM-62 Snark intercontinental cruise missile base. But in November 1959, within a year of Power's request for a program evaluation, Strategic Air Command recommended cancellation of Snark (the recommendation was endorsed by ARDC). Headquarters USAF, however, rejected that proposal. Despite General Power's recommendation, the Air Force and the Department of Defense decided to continue a limited program for the operational deployment of one Snark squadron to acquire some missile capability until Intercontinental ballistic missiles became available in quantity. On January 1, 1959, SAC activated the 702nd Strategic Missile Wing (ICM-Snark) at Presque Isle and assigned it to the Eighth Air Force, thus making it the first SAC missile wing to be assigned to a numbered air force.
The 556th Strategic Missile Squadron (SMS) at Patrick AFB, Florida was assigned to the 702d SMW on April 1, 1959 and was scheduled to move to Presque Isle in July, but SAC inactivated the squadron on 15 July 1959 before the move could be consummated. As a result of this action and the subsequent cancellation of the programmed activation of the 702nd Missile Maintenance Squadron, the 702nd SMW was put in the unique position of having no assigned subordinate units. All operational and maintenance functions associated with the Snark ICM were handled by the 702nd SMW's deputy commander for missiles.
The 702d SMW placed the first Snark ICM on alert on March 18, 1960 and by the end of fiscal year 1960, a total of four Snark missiles were on strategic alert. Yet, it was not until February 28, 1961 that SAC was able to declare the 702d SMW operational. But the Snark was living on borrowed time.
Shortly after taking office in 1961, President John F. Kennedy scrapped the project. The Strategic Air Command's negative evaluation of the Snark's potential was reinforced on March 28, 1961 when President Kennedy, in a special defense budget message, directed the phase out of the missile because it was "obsolete and of marginal military value" relative to ballistic missiles. The President cited the weapon's low reliability (a particularly sore point to his Secretary of Defense), inability to penetrate, lack of positive control, and vulnerable, unprotected launch sites. Accordingly, on June 25, 1961 SAC inactivated the 702d Strategic Missile Wing at Presque Isle less than four months after it had been declared operational.
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